Preface

This book is largely based on colonial archives located either in Madras or in London. Since the evidence I used was filtered through a series of colonial lenses, even the petitions of ordinary people were transcribed for inclusion in what ultimately became part of revenue and other records of the English East India Company. Moreover, the presentation here seeks to show how structures of meaning and institutions are cultural products negotiated by a large number of persons from every level of society in a given place and time. It therefore presumes that a single individual cannot produce meaning, a cultural development, or an institution by herself or himself. Nonetheless, the documents used here have perforce focused on individuals and my presentation, therefore, despite my efforts to the contrary, seems to center itself on the accomplishments of particular persons, especially men. As cultural historians, we have to work with the materials that are available and my discussion is no exception. Readers will therefore find that whole chapters are seemingly devoted to the activities of a single person. My presentation simply seeks to employ the activities of these individuals to illustrate the way in which culture is constructed from a wide variety of materials.